iOS 8.3, which Apple pushed to iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices on Wednesday, brought over 300 diverse Emoji characters, new keyboard and numerous bug fixes and improvements. However, after updating to iOS 8.3, Touch ID has stopped working to authorize app store purchases for many.
Huge number of iPhone, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 users are reporting on Apple Support Community, and Reddit that they have completely lost the ability to use Touch ID to authorize purchases in the App Store after updating to iOS 8.3 firmware. Although the issue does not seem to be affecting all iOS 8.3 users.

One of the affectees posted this on Reddit:

I just updated to iOS 8.3 and it completely removed my ability to use Touch ID in the App Store on my iPhone 6. It asks for my password for each and every purchase. Is anyone else seeing this? The option to use Touch ID in the App Store is on. I have already tried turning it off and on again to re-enter my password.

Instead of prompting those users who have enabled Touch ID authorization for app Store to verify their fingerprint before making the purchase or downloading the app, the App Store asks for user’s Apple ID credentials. The issue persists even after disabling and then re-enabling the Touch ID purchases option by going into Settings > iTunes & App Store, and there’s not even a known temporary workaround for the problem yet.

Apple may probably be forced to push a minor point update (iOS 8.3.1?) to quickly resolve the Touch ID purchases issue in the app store, just like iOS 8.0.2 that fixed Touch ID and WiFi problems brought to the users by iOS 8.0.1.

Fortunately, this Touch ID bug within the app store is just an inconvenience at this point and doesn’t disable the actual app store purchases. User cal still make app store purchases by entering their Apple ID password, which was the standard app purchasing procedure before Apple introduced Touch ID in iPhone 5s. Apple is yet to comment on the matter.

Lately, Apple has been widely criticized for releasing half baked iOS updates. iOS 8 was the most buggy major release of iOS ever, after which Apple rushed t push many point and major releases to deal with all those bugs. With one of such rushed updates, Apple managed to completely break the network for all users and even the Touch ID stopped working.

Have you updated to iOS 8.3? Are you able to verify app store purchases using Touch ID? [MacRumors]